Cato and Clove: Knives and Swords
by FreddyFrog
Summary: This is the story of Cato and Clove. A strong, tall male and a vicious, small hard-personalitied female.
1. Chapter 1

**Clove's POV**

My eyes flutter open, and I feel something wet, along with an excruciating painful feeling. I looked down, and find my fingers wrapped around a knife, pressings its pointed tip into the palm of my hand. Blood was running down my palm, thick and red. Evil as it was, I loved seeing blood. It was so . . . satisfying. It made me feel confident. The whole town calls me a monster, a killer. And I am. I have killed more than justa nimals in my life. I have killed children, babies even. I have been in trouble so many times. Everyone knew me as Clove Wind, the girl with the knives. Everyone keeps their distance from me. They know what will happen if they even make me a bit irritated. I have never experienced love, passion. Only death and pain was what I was interested in. Despite my small body, I was strong, agile. I could throw knives easily, and hit every target precisely where I want to hit it. I could tackled someone and pound them to the floor as simple as that. And it was good I was made like this. I was determined to volunteer and become a tribute for the Hunger Games, and win it. I was not going to fail like my mother, and die during the games. Never. Clove Wind NEVER loses.

Aware of the pain in my hand, I pulll the knife out of my hand. I wince, and give a small groan, and throw the knife towards the wall. It hit it, sliding right through the wood, making a perfect slicing noise. I smiled, and pulled myself off my bed. I walked over to the bathroom sink, where I washed the blood off my hand, cleaning the wound, scrubbing it with soap. When the blood was gone, and my palm was clean, I changed into my training outfit: a simple brown shirt, brown leggings, and comfortable boots, which reached about three fourths up to my knees. I had a knife belta oround my waist, and kept all my amazing weapons in it.

I glanced at myself in the mirror. I never realy paid attention to how I looked, I mean, I didn't really care. But I was sure that if I wasn't so dangerous and negative, lots of boys would be crushing on me. I was small and slender, which helped me sneek up on people without making a single sound. I had long, raven dark hair, which fell down my back in long, natural waves. My eyes were big and brown, and my skin was pale, and I had some freckles around my nose. So, all in all, I was a gorgeous girl, only with a not-so-pretty inside.

I walked down to the kitchen, where my father was sitting on a chair, his cheek rested on the kitchen table, eyes closed, his breath slow and heavy. Besides his face, on the table, was a big bottle of beer. He was drunk again. Ever since my mother's death, he had been drinking nonstop. He had quit his job, and had spent all his time at home, drunk, sleeping or crying. I knew there was a spot in my heart for him, but I could never find it. What kind of father is he? I didn't exactly hate him, I just didn't care much for him.

I left the house, walking down the empty streets, on my way to the training center. I was excited for another day of fighting, especially winning against those poor helpless kids, shaking with fear. I smirked to myself, and entered the brick building. I would be late, naturally. It was already eight, an hour late. Whatever. I pushed open the door, like I did every day and and didn't even have a chance to look around when I felt a sharp object fly past me, missing me by a millimeter.

**Cato's POV**

I walked down the street, casually, hiding my nerves. It would be my first day at the training center. It wasn't because I was a weak seventeen year old that I couldn't start until now. It was that we didn't have enough money to sign me up. Until today, I had to practice throwing spears and swords at trees. Finally, after saving up so much money, I could finally get trained by teachers. Then, go to the games.

I stepped into the building, and pushed a door open, which lead me to the training gym. I looked around the center. There were so many weapons. Knives, swords, bows and arrows, ropes, spears . . . I walked over to the stand of swords, and picked one up. Everyone watched me, pointing. I grinned, happy that I had drawn attention, and I lunged forwards, slicing a huge bag of oats open. It poured with grains of oats, sprinkling us.

"Wooooh!" A boy cries, laughing.

I sliced more bags open, and grabbed a spear. I through it with all my force accross the room, seeking attention and praise. It went through a beaten-up dummy, its head rolling off. I did this a few more times until a tall man entered. He was good-looking, with a straight back and a headfull of loopy curls, which bounced around his head. He also had muscles, big ones, covering his entire body.

"You must be Cato." The man said. "I'm Karlos, you're trainer here."

"Nice to meet you." I held out an arm.

Karlos looked at it, and smiled. He shook my hand. "You seem like a strong kid. I saw you throwing that spear. Would you throw another few? Just so I can get a good look at you?"

"Sure." I grabbed a spear from the stand, and threw it with force towards the wall. It hit it perfectly. "I'm great with swords." I included.

"I can see that," Karlos nodded, eyeing the mess of oats.

"He might be able to beat Clove!" A high-pitched voice piped up.

"I was just thinking that?" Karlos looked at me, admiring my own muscles. I was big, muscualr, like a giant, in a healthy way. I had faintly tanned skin, and dirty blond hair, almost beige, and big blue eyes.

"Clove?" I asked. Who was this _Clove_? What did they mean by I _might _be able to beat her. Mighty Cato Fren beats everybody. No one could beat me.

"She's the scarriest, deadliest girl in the whole academy!" Someone else said.

"Yeah! Even Karlos fears her!" Another person said.

"I do not." Karlos said. "She just is wild. Very unpredictable. She needs to be calmed down a lot. She kills people."

"She almost killed my sister!" A loud voice said.

"It's true!" A squeeky, girly voice said. "Karlos and the other trainers had to pull them apart and Clove got suspended for two weeks."

"Hush, everyone!" Karlos shouted. He turned to Cato. "Throw another spear. Just one more. See that picture right by the door? Can you knock it down?"

"Sure."

I took another spear and through it. Just then, the door burst open, and a girl appeared, an evil look on her face. The spear was inches away from her, and it flew right by her face, just a millimeter away from hitting her. Her devilish look washed off her, and she her eyes widened, not with fear, but with anger.

"Oh no." Someone whispered.

The girl took a step forward, and I could see her belt was full of knives. Her mouth was set in a straight line, and the whole center turned quiet. The girl's eyes flicked to every face, and when she reached mine, my throat turned dry. She was beautiful, in a scary way. She looked from me, to the spear and picture, which I had missed by only a bit.

The girl moved with so much speed, she was like a blur. She was right in front of me in seconds, a knife in her hand. She was standing at the tips of her toes, and she looked up at me, her eyes full of rage.

"Did you just throw a spear at _me_?" She hissed, sending chills down my spine.

"Not at you. At the picture." I said calmly.

The girl raised her knife. "But you missed. You missed. That spear was barely touching me!" She said louder.

"Clove," Karlos said, coming towards her. "Clove, calm down."

"NO!" She shrieked, and she was so fast, I barely saw her, but the next thing I know, I was pinned to the ground. She was leaning on top of me. Her knife was tracing shapes along my arm. Her face was so close to mine, I could feel her breath.

"CLOVE!" Karlos said.

Clove ignored the trainer. She sunk the knife into my leg. I screamed. She laughed.

"CLOVE! CLOVE! STOP!" Karlos shouted, worried.

"Don't worry, Karlos. She'll get a fight if she wants one." I said.

I jumped to my feet and ran over to the sword stand, and grabbed one hstily. Clove lunged for me, and tried to disarm me with her knife. I grabbed her with my free hand and held her steady. I punched her in the stomach, and she flew back, falling onto her back. She looked up, surprised by my strength. I could see the mixed emotions in her eyes, and after a while of just staring at each other, she tackled me by surprise and I fell loudly against a wall.

The other kids in the room gasped. I turned my head weakly, and saw them huddled in a corner, watching. Karlos was standing awkwardly, wondering whether to call some helpers to break the fight or not.

Clove mouth was close to my ear, and she whispered, so quietly no one else could hear, "What is your name, boy?"

"Cato." I whispered back.

"Silly name. Oh, well, you'll be dead soon!"

She brought a knife, this one was even more pointed, to my neck. "Ready to say goodbye to you life?"

"Not at all, and I'm not." I said brightly, which stunned her.

She looked at me, a confused look in her eyes. I used this moment to pushed her back with my foot. She growled as she slid back. And two things happened at that exact moment. I thew my sword at her, and she threw a knife at me. And right before both of our weapons could hit the other one's neck, the whole crowd gasped. And that was it. As soon as the knife hit me, I fell back, and I knew Clove had too.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**Clove POV:**

The first thing I see when I wake is the sky, through a glass, see-through ceiling. It was a special blue, light, almost white. It had very faint, not very visible, swirls of color in it. It looked so peaceful, so calm, so relaxed. Somehow, I did not feel that way right now.

I inhaled, and could smell lemons and rubber. Two things I didn't especially like. The scent was hardly familiar. I looked around. I was in a hard bed, covered with white sheets and thin blankets. My head was resting on a weak, floppy pillow. Around me, there were more identical white beds. But none of them were occupied, except for the one to my right. In that one, I saw a figure covered with layers of sheets, but I thought I could see a headful of blond hair.

I wondered where I was. Then, I saw a cart, right at the foot of my bed, full of bottles of liquids and unknown substances. I gasped. The hospital. I was at the hospital. Why was I in such a fancy place? Then, I remembered. I remembered myself letting go of my knife, throwing it towards Cato. Cato. The boy who was about to kill me with his stupid spear. I remember seeing his spear coming towards me, and landing right on my throat. I remember falling to the ground, blood falling everywhere.

I gasped, and my hand crawled around the bed, searching for my knife. It wasn't here. I never went anywhere without one. I looked under the sheets to see what I was wearing. I wasn't surprised to find myself in my training outfit, boots still on. Only my knife belt was gone. I groaned.

"What's wrong, dear?" A lady in a white robe asked me. I jumped up, startled. I hadn't even noticed her, sitting on a chair, writing in a notebook.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Only a couple of hours. That other boy," She pointed to Cato. "Hit you pretty hard with it."

"What's wrong with me?" I asked.

"Oh, we only had to stitch up a bit on your neck. Only six stitches, dear."

My hand flew to my neck, and I felt sick little bumps in a neat row at the side of it. I sighed. "How about _him_?" I asked, pointing my chin over to Cato.

"He's not too hurt. Three stitches, dear. Don't worry." The nurse smiled. She flipped the page of her notebook, and wrote something else down.

Only? Only three stitches? I had _six, _and Cato only had _three_? This wasn't possible. Something must have happened. He had hurt me more than I had hurt him? I panicked.

"Are you sure only three stitches?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Yes, dear, don't worry. He's fine."

"Oh, I'm not worried!" I couldn't help but sneer at the nurse. "I'm mad!"

"Dear?"

"How is this possible?" I muttered.

"Dear?" She repeated.

At that moment, a door opened, and Karlos entered, his steps loud, echoing through the vast room. When he noticed my eyes open, he smiled. "Alright there, Clove?" I glared at him, naturally.

"Sydney," He turned to the nurse. "Is she alright to leave?"

"I think so. Maybe she shouldn't go back to training right away though. She should rest and let her mind clear a bit."

"No." I growled. The two of them looked over at me. "I'm going back to the training center."

"Alright, Clove," Karlos was unsure, but didn't bother to fight. He knew he'd lose.

I slipped out of the bed, and tried to adjust my boots better, buckling them tighter.

"So when do you think Cato will wake?" Karlos asked the nurse, Sydney.

"Maybe in a few hours. I will tell you when he does."

"Good. Have a good day, Sydney."

"You too, Karlos,"

Karlos walked behind me, and we left the hospital.

**Cato's POV:**

My eyes open and I see a lady bent over me, taking my temperature. I am in a hospital, one I have never been in.

"Oh, good, your awake, dear." The lady smiled. "I'm Nurse Sydney."

"I'm Cato,"

"I know. It's good you woke up now and not two hours ago, dear. That other girl . . . well, she's something."

"Clove was here?" I was stunned.

"Yes. She went back to the academy. That girl sure likes fighting."

"She's good at it too. But not as good as me."

"Are you sure? Karlos tells me it's a tie."

"Ha! Nah, I won."

"So, dear, would you like me to call your parents? I was going to, but then I couldn't find their number. You're new to the academy?"

"Yes. I just started today."

"Well, would you like me to call them, dear?"

"No. I think I'll just go home. I think the academy is closing in a few minutes anyways."

"It just did."

"Alright, well, thank you for fixing me up." I thought for a second. "What exactly did you do to me?"

"You got stitches," She gestured toward my neck and smiled.

I felt every stitch. There were only three. But still, as I glanced at myself in the mirror hung at the head of my bed, they were very noticeable.

"Thank you again," I said, and I dragged myself out of the room. I went through the lobby and right through the golden glass doors, and inhaled a deep breath once I reached the street. It smelled fresh, unlike the hospital, where it smelled all toxic.

I walked down the street. My mother, father, and I lived in a one-story house, which wasn't poor, but also not rich. I was homeschooled there, and it was many miles away from the academy, which meant I would have to walk back and forth twice a day. But that didn't matter. I was determined to be a part of the Hunger Games; I was hoping my name would be called. If not, I would volunteer. And I would win it.

Our house was really far into town, and as I passed the bigger houses, the ones closer to the academy, I heard a crash coming from one house. And then a shriek. My head turned, and located where the sound was coming from. It was a round house, with an old porch with dried, crusty painting that was coming off. It was obviously a house that was not cared for. One not taken care of.

I walked closer up to the house when I heard an even louder crash. And a shout, coming from someone old. I heard another shriek. I was right beside the house, my ear pressed to the walls. What was happening in there? I heard another shriek, a cry. I found a window and looked through. There was a man, with a dark mustache and an unshaved beard. His eyes were drowsy, and he was walking like a drunkard. He was yelling, shaking a bottle of beer at someone. She looked so familiar.

"Clove!" I gasped beneath my breath. I could recognize her now. But she didn't look as tough as when she was fighting me. Now, she was whimpering, tears covering her whole face. Her eyes were red. I could see from all the way behind the window, her stitches were bleeding.

Clove was shaking as the man approached her, yelling. She buried her face in her hands, and kept on whimpering. Why wouldn't she throw a knife at him? Kick him? Run away? Yell back at him? It was as if she was afraid to hurt him, to lay a finger on him.

I was tempted to, myself, go in and fight the old guy. Clove was obviously not going to do so. I watched as the man threw his bottle at Clove, and it shattered to pieces besides her.

"Daddy!" I could hear her whisper. "Daddy! Stop!"

So the guy was her father? He didn't seem like one right now. He seemed like an old jerk coming to kill a girl. He held up a vase this time. It was big, made of glass, and I couldn't take it. Clove had to escape. Now.

And Clove did. As soon as she realized that the vase could really harm her, she leaped out of the room. But instead of rushing to the door like I hoped she would, I could see her run down the hallway and into another room. I heard a loud bang, and the door shut.


	3. Chapter 3

**Clove's POV:**

I pressed myself against my thin wooden door. My father never attacked me before. Drugs didn't have that kind of effect on him. They only made him drowsy and sleepy. Maybe sometimes he'd do unreasonable things, but never _hurt _me! I breathed heavily, my back flat against the door. I put my hands to my face, and cried into them.

"Clove? CLOVE? COME BACK OUT HERE, YOU WIMPY KID!" My father's voice came from behind the door.

Normally, if instead of my father it would have been a kid from the training academy, he would have been dead or at least really hurt in three seconds flat. But this was my father. I wasn't going to hurt him a bit. But still, no one calls me a wimp. ESPECIALLY me. But I stayed glued to the door.

When I heard my father walking away, groaning in pain, I sighed in relief. I ran over to the single window in my bedroom, right over my bed. I pushed it open, and felt a sudden wave of cold air hit my face. I reached for a knife from my belt. It was gone. _Where was my knife belt? _Stupid academy. They must have taken it away from me.

I jumped out of the window, landing on all fours. I gave a big tremble, and I collapsed onto the moist ground. I was in the yard of our house. It was rotten, and had a terrible stench. I hadn't been out here in so long . . . I had forgotten everything about it. There were piles of stones here and there, squishy green plants, twigs and branches covering the whole place.

I began to cry again, and I curled into a small ball, my eyes shut tightly, my hands covering my whole face. After a few minutes, I felt my mind slowly fade away. I allowed it to shut, and fell into a deep sleep.

**Cato's POV:**

When I saw Clove curled to the side, her eyes closed, I froze. I wasn't sure if she was moving, even breathing. I was scared. What had her father done to her? I crawled over to her, careful to not make a single sound. I pushed her hands away from her beautiful face, and I found it red, from all that crying. I could see a bruise right below her left eye. On her neck, I could see stitches. The ones caused by my spear. For a second, I felt bad for her. Really bad. But then reality returned, and I reminded myself it was she who had started to fight, and it was absolutely none of my business that she had a crazy father. I was about to leave her when Clove's eyes shot open. For a second, she just stared blankly at me, then horror crept into her face.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, scrambling up. I followed her.

"I found you like this, Clove. I wanted to see if you were dead."

"Too bad I'm not, isn't it?" She sneered.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

She glared at me.

"I won the fight." I told her.

"No."

"Yes. I got less hurt then you."

"That doesn't mean you won!" She hissed. "It just means your stupid spear happens to have lots of pointed spots."

"No, it means I win."

"Do you want a rematch?" She asked, her voice taunting.

"Now?"

"Of course. Why not?"

"We don't have any weapons."

She smiled sweetly, and her hands formed fists. "We don't need weapons."

Knowing her, I knew she had a hidden knife in her hair or in her sleeve. But was I going to let that get in my way of winning a fight? Absolutely not.

"Bring it on." I grinned.

We walked around, eyeing each other like a cobra ready to attack. Suddenly, I saw her bound onto me, and she was tackling me. I had much bigger muscles, and I tried to turn, throwing her onto the ground, my hands pinning hers to the ground. I was on top of her, my feet blocking her legs from moving. She gave me a smile, and I knew she was about to untangle herself quickly. I threw my whole body onto her, squishing her to the ground. To my delight, Clove whimpered, gasping for air.

"Cato! Get off!" She gasped, her voice tight and raspy. I realized how much pain I was causing her. I watched her face turn redder and redder. "Cato!" She shrieked in an out-of-tone voice.

Finally, I rolled off of her, and she just lay like that, staring up, breathing heavily. Then, she jumped up, anger flowing through her face. "Geez! Cato, how much do you weigh? You were like an elephant!"

I grinned at her. "Around one-seventy."

She stared at me. She thought I was joking. I guess she was only around a hundred and five or a hundred and ten pounds. She then turned around, walking away from me, but also away from her house.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm getting my knives back."

Oh. That's where her knives where. The academy must have taken them. I nodded.

"Alright. Bye."

She glared at me, and started to run, really fast, until she was barely a tiny figure in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your comments! I love you all! I have been writing stories for such a long time and my family doesn't understand why I like to write, especially since I am a boy and all. Anyways, here is chapter 4. You all have no idea how much I love it when people post comments so everyone please do!**

**Love y'all, **

**Freddy**

**Clove's POV:**

I threw my knife furiously towards the thick wounded rope hanging from the ceiling. It sliced off, tumbling onto the floor. I smirked.

"Good job." A voice from behind me says.

I whirled around, and saw Cato looking down at me. I was tempted to kick him. Which I did.

"Ow!" He cried, putting a hand to his chest. "What was that for?"

"For daring to come this close to me."

"Clove, why are you so mean?"

I glared at him. It was his second month here, and I was getting very tired of him. He kept bugging me with questions, asking me about my father. Of course, I answered each question with a kick or a punch, although none of my punches ever caused him a bruise. His skin was made of steel. I was pretty convinced of it.

"I mean," Cato continued. "You always get mad super easily. And you never smile. I mean, you only smile a fake, sarcastic smile. And you are so negative and people get on you nerves so easily and ―"

I pressed my temple against his. I was standing at the tips of my toes, fire burning through my dark eyes. "I'm warning you, Cato. One more word, and you'll be laying on this floor. DEAD."

"Ha! Clove, I know I can just lay on you and you won't be able to breathe."

I jumped onto him, and brought my knife to his face. I smiled, brushing the knife around his cheekbones, his lips, down to his bare neck. I leaned in, and whispered into his ear, "Say goodbye to life, Cato. And this time, I mean it."

I could see the look of nervousness on Cato's face. I chuckled to myself in my head. Suddenly, I felt a huge pair of hands on me, lifting me off of Cato. I turned.

"Karlos! Let me go!" I cried, as Karlos lifted me off the floor.

"No."

"Karlos!"

"Seriously, Clove, do we have to wait for you to kill another person, then suspend you. Wouldn't it just be better to ban you from this place? FOREVER? How about that, Clove?"

My face turned stunned, then worried. "No, you can't do that." I said, flustered. "You can't. I _need _to train. I'm going to compete for the Hunger Games! I need to train, Karlos!"

"Have fun training in your yard."

He dropped me on the floor. I was shaking. The training center was the only place I could go to get out of my house. How could he do this to me? I just sat, shaking crazily, tears forming at the back of my eyes. I forced them to go. No way was I going to cry.

Everyone looked down at me. I stomped up, my anger flushing throughout me. Stupid Cato. I glanced at him through the corner of my eye. He looked satisfied, even happy. He gave me a huge smile. I growled under my breath, and ran away from the academy, not looking back once.

**Cato's POV:**

Okay, so I admit it was awesome to see Clove getting banned from the training center. It was nice to see her looking so surprise and fretful, almost crying. It was fun to see her stomp away. But at the same time, I did feel bad for her. I mean, she was returning to her crazy drunk father who never cared for her. I thought about going and asking Karlos to let her come back, but I shook the idea off. Why would I want her to come back? Now I was for sure the best in the academy.

I strolled down the park, whistling. My hands were in my pocket, my eyes half closed, enjoying the sunlight heating my skin. Then, I noticed a girl. She was small, and slender. With long raven hair and brown eyes. She was sitting on a bench, staring at something in her hands. It took me a second to recognize her as Clove. Although Clove was unforgettable, she hadn't been in the academy in so long. I think a few months. It was the first time in all these months. I tried to see what she was looking at. Some kind of charm. It was small though.

I approached her. She was paying so much attention to the little thing in the palm of her hand, she barely heard my footsteps.

"Hello."

Her head spun up and she glared at me. I loved her glare. It was so . . . Clove. I glanced over at the thing in her hand. It was a silver charm, shaped as a star. It was thin, and shimmered, sparkling in the sunlight. On it, I could make out the name _Julie_. Who was this Julie? And why did Clove have her charm?

"What do you want?" She hissed.

I quickly checked to see if she was wearing her knife belt. Yes, she was. Along with a green shirt, tight black leggings, and low boots.

"I'm not going to hurt you unless you deserve it." She assured me, but I didn't get that much assured. Clove was very unpredictable, and when she says something, you're not exactly sure if she means it or not.

"What? Did staying in the park cool you down or something?" I asked, trying to sound confident.

"Sort of." She mumbled. She put the charm into her pocket.

"Look, I'm really sorry you can't go into the Hunger Games." I said quietly.

"What makes you say I'm not going in them?" She asked, looking up. I sat down beside her, keeping a large amount of distance between us.

"Well, you aren't training."

"Yeah, I am. I throw knives every day. Besides, the reaping is only in a few days. If I'm not reaped, I'm volunteering."

"Oh." I said. "I'm going to volunteer too."

"So I guess I get an excuse to kill you." She smiled.

I smiled back. W_here Clove and I actually getting along? _

"Clove," I muttered. "I'm really, really sorry. About everything."

"What do you mean?" She snapped.

"About your father. About getting banned from the academy. About having the bad life you have."

"Are you TRYING to get on my nerves?" She screeched.

"No, I'm just trying to make you feel better."

"Well it's not working."

I scooted closer to her body, and took her hand. She stared at my fingers, which were wrapped around her wrist softly. I could hear her pulse. Beating hard against her skin. I had never realized how beautifully her hair waved down her shoulders, and down her back. Almost _glowing._ And her eyes, so dark, rich, full of beauty and emotions. They were almost black. Almost.

What was happening? Have I been struck by her beauty? Was I attracted to Evil Clove? Clove, you tried to kill me so many times. Clove, who had a terrible father. Clove, who killed so many children, and so many animals. Did I have a crush on Clove?

"What I want to know, Clove," I whispered, my lips close to her ear. She was frozen. "Is why you act the way you do. Why you are like a bully. Why you like to kill. Why you like to torture people. Why, Clove?"

At first, I expected her to lunge for me and pin me down to the floor. Then, I waited for her to just punch my eye. But, surprisingly, she just whispered, "I don't know," And crumpled into a small ball, crying.

**Clove's POV:**

As I cried, Cato laid a hand on my shoulder, and I tensed. He began to pat my back, hushing me. He had touched me. In a kind manner. Never before had someone ever caressed me in such a manner, ever since my mother died. I cried even more.

"Sshh, Clove, I'm sorry I even asked." Cato murmured, pulling me to his chest.

My cheek was pressed upon his warm chest. My eyes started stinging, and my throat was dry. I curled my hands to my chest, my face in Cato. I wasn't sure what this meant. Was it love?

NO. I cannot like Cato. This is awful. I had to pull away. I cannot go to the Hunger Games and compete against him if I liked him. I must return to hating him. Hating his existence. But I couldn't pull away from Cato's chest. He wrapped two arms around me, and hummed out of tune.

Finally, I was able to gather the strength to unwrap myself from him. I wiped my tears away with the palms of my hands, and sniffed. "I'm sorry." I said, my voice barely hearable. I tried to get up. "I should go." I said more loudly.

"Oh, right," Cato said. He got up like me, and said, "Clove, who is Julie?"

"My mother."

"Your mother."

"She died in the Games."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry,"

I rolled my eyes. "Bye."

"Wait, Clove," Cato said my name.

"Yeah?"

He leaned in. Before I knew what he was about to do, he pressed his lips into mine. He had to bend down, back curved, but he kissed me fully of the lips. He savored my taste for a moment, and our lips just stayed locked like that for a second. Then, I pulled back. HE KISSED ME! I was angry. He sighed, satisfied.

"What did you just do?" I asked him, madness flushing in my eyes.

"I kissed you." He grinned.

"WHY?"

"Uh . . . because I wanted to?"

"You had no right."

"I know. But I still did."

"Cato! You are such a . . ." He kissed me again. This time, his lips were gruff, hard. He nibbled on my lower lip, and put his hands on my shoulders, pulling me towards him. To my horror, I actually liked the feeling. He put his hand to the small of the back, and I put my two arms around his neck, caressing his hair. He did the same to mine, and as soon as he put a hand to my cheek, I detached myself from him.

"No, Cato, this isn't right. We aren't supposed to be kissing. We are competing against each other. And we both obviously want to win."

"Clove," He said warily.

"Bye, Cato," I said. I patted his shoulder, and zoomed away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so this chapter was SUPER long so I cut it up into little bits. Thank you all super much. I love reading your reviews!**

**thanks again,**

**Freddy :)**

**Cato's POV:**

I was sweaty, tired, and felt icky. I had just trained twelve hours straight, from seven in the morning to six in the afternoon, and I felt like a gorilla. But after all, tomorrow was the reaping and I was determined to volunteer and win the Hunger Games. I held my nose as far away from my body as possible, poking it into the air to avoid my stench. I lazily walked down the road, my shirt in my hands, my thick, bulky muscles showing. As I passed, girls giggled and whispered, eyeing me secretively. I liked the attention, and smiled happily, which only made them squeal more. They sounded like suffocating guinea pigs.

I spotted Clove, sitting on her porch steps, right beside a pile of knives. She threw them one by one into a tree, making a perfect, straight line. I waved to her. She nodded in my direction. I had passed her house every day, and I sometimes found her sitting in front of her house, throwing knives or maybe just watching the neighborhood. She had been acting a tiny bit nicer towards me, and I'm not exactly sure why, but I did like it.

Sometimes, I would even come over and sit with her, maybe talk for a bit. It was barely a friendship, and she was still terrifying to everyone, including me, but I did find out she was a bit calmer around me. Sometimes, I'd find a new gash on her arm from her father, a bruise here and there. And even though I pushed her to attack him back, she wouldn't. She wouldn't hurt her father. Even if the old scum deserved it.

Sometimes I would plan on killing Clove's father myself. I once told this to Clove, and I found myself pinned to the ground, Clove's small body on mine, her forehead inches from mine, teeth showing, a knife right above my throat. She had said, "Don't you dare, Cato Fren! Don't you dare! If you even lay a finger on my father, I'll slice your throat with my sharpest knife and burn your body!"

I decided to talk to Clove. I approached her, and fell onto a step beside her, panting.

"EW!" She cried, jumping up. She covered her nose with her hand. "Cato, you smell like . . . I don't know. I've never smelled anything so gross! Get away from me!"

I grinned at her, sticking my sweaty bare chest at her. "I've trained for hours and hours. From morning to sunset." I went over to her, arms spread. "Come on! Give me a hug."

Clove screeched, and ran over to her tree, pulling a knife out. She flung it towards me, missing me by an inch. "Come one step closer, Cato Fren, and I swear I'll kill you!"

I pounded her to the ground not too brutally, and smiled. "Would you like to smell my armpits?"

Clove was screeching and screaming, kicking uselessly. I had learned that when I was on her chest, she could not move very well. I lifted my arm, and took a whiff. "Mmm, smells nice!" In my head, I was thinking I smelled like really, really old socks.

"Cato! NO!" Clove shouted as I lowered my arm, putting it in an angle for her to be able to smell it. "CATO!" Her voice was horrified, scared. I laughed. "CATOOO!" Her voice was muffled by my armpit, which covering both her nose and mouth.

"How good do I smell?" I asked, chuckling as Clove closed her eyes tight, probably to block her tears. She started to kick maniacally. If she screamed, that meant she would have to open her mouth, I thought. And if she opened her mouth, she would taste my sweat, which wouldn't please her.

Clove whimpered. Finally, I pulled myself off of her. She  
was shaking crazily, her face white, eyes big and round, breathing heavily. I expected her to pounce on me, but instead she just sat, her legs folded to her chest, against the first porch step, breathing. She looked frightened. She looked scared. She was going to get me back later.

Clove glared at me, and then shut her eyes, and covered her face with her hands. Was she crying? No. I couldn't see any tears coming from any gaps between her fingers. What did she want me to do now?

"I'm sorry," I said awkwardly, looking down.

"Don't ever do that again." She hissed. She jumped up and ran into the house, leaving me behind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey y'all!**

**Here is a long chapter to make up for the small one!**

**Love you guys,**

**Freddy ^^  
...**

**Clove's POV:**

I absolutely hated Cato. How dare he make me smell his stupid armpits? How dare he even touch me? He was supposed to behave. I didn't kill a single person since his arrival here. And now, I had the urge to make him my victim.

I lay on my bed, my hair spread out around me like a lion's mane. My father was in the kitchen, drinking. He was only half alert, and hardly noticed me enter the house. He still didn't know about me not going to the academy. Then again, what did he know? He missed out fourteen years of his life. He didn't hurt me much more, which was good.

I fumbled around with a knife, eyes closed. I wasn't tired. I actually felt like taking a walk. But I stayed in bed, doing nothing.

I fell asleep and woke up the next morning really late. Eight thirty. How could I have woken so late? This wasn't normal. Then, I remember what day it is. The reaping . . . I usually would have been excited, overjoyed. I would have been glad to be able to kill twenty three other skinny, helpless kids. My whole life, I was waiting for the moment when I would be ready. Today, I was ready. But a strange, worried feeling was in me. Would I win?

Of course I would! I was Clove Wind, Clove Wind for God's sake! I _always _won! And so what if there were a few tough competitors? That was good! That would make it at least challenging! I tried to reassure myself.

I took a cold shower, cleaning every part of me thoroughly. I hated hot showers. Hot water always irritated me, turning my skin red. It felt like I was in a glass of tea or hot chocolate. Cold water, on the other hand, was beautifully relieving. It can wash off your worries, leaving a nice, soothing feeling. It makes you feel strong, but calm.

I pulled into a short emerald green plain dress, one that was my mother's. She had worn it on her reaping. I wore white tights under, and I buckled a thin belt around my waist. As I looked in the mirror, I realized I was actually very pretty. My hair was combed and dried, and was shining and undulating down my back. My skin was clear, with only a few freckles around my nose. And my eyes were big and brown, showing my strong personality.

I slipped into some formal black boots and slipped a knife into each one, making sure it wasn't visible. I left the house, locking the door carefully. My father was asleep on the couch. I had decided to not wake him. It would be better not to. Besides, he wouldn't believe me if I told him it was already the reaping.

After getting signed in, and put into the seventeen-year-old group of girls, I waited. Enobaria, an over-happy lady dressed in a tight blue skirt and with perfect blond ringlets, skidded up to the stage, Brutus, a large but kind man, was behind her, smiling at everyone.

"Hello, hello, everyone!" Enobaria smiled, her lips stretching wide, showing her perfect white teeth. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Everyone smiled back, nervously.

"We will start by picking our girl representative." Enobaria said. She walked over to the large glass bowl of folded names. She picked one up gracefully. Mine was in there so many times . . . I was sure it would get picked. And it did. As Enobaria unfolded her chosen paper, my heart started to pound. I was sure everyone's was. "Clove Wind." Enobaria said, looking around, smiling.

I walked up to the stage, putting a brave, strong look in my eyes. I put on a smirk, as if to say _this will be easy_.

"Hello Clove! How are you?"

"Good." I said. My voice was determined, but also put in an undefeatable tone. Which I liked.

"Now for the boy tribute." She picked a paper up. She unfolded it. My heart started to beat even faster. "Cato Fren."

Cato Fren. Cato. Cato. All this time I wanted to kill him. Why wasn't I happy right now? I wasn't depressed either, just irritated. Why Cato?

I saw Cato walked up the stage, strong as well. Girls screeched when they saw him. He was wearing really tight pants and a blouse. With its first few buttons open. He smirked, copying my smirk. I was mad.

"Shake hands." Enobaria said in a shrill.

Cato's outstretched hand made me nervous, but I didn't show it by taking it with a confident look in my eyes.

They escorted us away. They brought me into a fancy room. Everything was made of glass and velvet. And I mean everything. The walls were glass, and the carpet was of a purple velvet. The couches looked too fancy to sit on, and the table looked as if it were made of real gold.

I knew I would not get any visitors. So as there was a knock on the door, I yelped, surprised. It opened, and a woman I did not know appeared. She was short, slim, and was tan with golden hair. She looked at me kindly. "Hello Clove."

"Who are you?"

"Molly Fren."

"Oh. Cato's mother."

"I just wanted to wish you good luck." She said sweetly. "Don't get discouraged. I mean, I know you've killed some people in the past, but Cato is very strong and could kill you in seconds. Be careful."

"He could not kill me if I gave him _years_." I informed her, rolling my eyes.

"Whatever. I just wanted to tell you that Cato can win these games. Don't underestimate him."

"Look, Mrs. Fren, thank you for coming, but I really just need some time alone." Clove said.

"Haven't you gotten any visitors? Your parents?"

"My mother's dead." I said.

"Oh, yes dear, I forgot." Somehow, I knew she didn't.

"Well, bye,"

"Goodbye,"

She left the room, closing the doors after her.

A few minutes later, I was transferred into a new place. It was even bigger, and everything was even fancier. I was horrified.

They gave me my own room. It was right beside Cato's, and we were separated by a single wall. Inside, everything was king size. The bed could probably fit five people. The couch was so big and bouncy. The carpet was like bear fur, and I tugged my boots off to curl my toes in it. I could have fallen asleep right on the carpet instead of the bed easily.

There was a huge bathroom, followed by a huge closet. I changed into some black leggings and a plain black shirt. I put on some regular shoes, and went out, deciding to look around. Maybe look at the view or something.

I ran right into Cato. He, too, had changed. He wore a regular shirt and some sweat pants. My head crashed into his chest, and I fell back, startled.

"Sorry," He said. "I didn't see you."

"Me neither."

"So we're going into the games together."

"Yup." I paused. "Your mother wished me good luck."

"She knows I'll win."

"So it will be a surprise for her when I win."

"You aren't."

"I am. I bet I could kill half of the tributes on the first day."

"I could kill all the tributes on the first day."

"Yeah right."

"I could."

I just wanted to end this conversation right here. It could go on and on, but I didn't feel like wasting any of my energy of stuff like this.

"Whatever." I said. I started to walk away, when Cato grabbed me from my shoulders. His movement was so sudden, I yelped, looking back at him, glaring.

"Why did you do that, stupid?"

"Because I wanted to do this." Cato bent over to me, eyes closing, his lips stuck out. He was going to kiss me. _Again?_ What was wrong with him? He wants to win these games, and now he is kissing me? I hated this. I hated my mixed feelings for him. I hated his perfect deep blue eyes that you could just fall into. I hated all his muscles. I hated his tall figure. I hated him. Didn't I? Yes, I did.

As soon as his lips touched mine, I could feel myself drowning in a pool of pleasure. This was happening again. I could not let it happen. It was like a drug to me. It had to stop. I tried to pull away, but both of his hands flew to my head. He held my face while he kissed it passionately, my body pressed to his. My hands moved to his neck, and I wrapped them around it, enjoying this beautifully refreshing feeling.

I couldn't seem to pull myself away. I was kissing Cato back. His mouth open, inviting me in. I shivered in joy as he caressed my cheekbones. Suddenly, someone coughed.

My arms dropped from Cato, and he dropped my face. I quickly moved away from Cato, embarrassed, and looked to see who it was. Brutus.

"So are you two together?" He asked.

"No." I said.

"No." Cato repeated. Did I hear disappointment in his voice?

"Oh. So why did you two kiss?"

"Because Cato made me."

"You were kissing him back."

I flew over to Brutus. I was just an inch away from him, my eyes looking up into his, warning him. "If you ever tell anyone about this," I hissed, pulling a knife from my sleeve. "Your neck is going to be found miles away from your body."

"Hehe," Brutus patted my head. "Looks like we've got a feisty one. Good thing, too. You look so small and fragile on the outside but―"

I tackled him to the ground, growling under my breath. My held the knife right at his nose, so he was able to see it. "I'll slice your nose first," I whispered. "Then, I'll carve out your eyes." I made patterns with my knife around his eyelids. He just lay there, not moving. I knew he could fight me if he wanted to. But why didn't he choose to?

I drew swirls on his cheek, making unrecognizable prints and pictures. My knife's blade was so sharp, it could have killed him with just a stab, but I continued drawing unharmful around his face.

"Stop it, Clove," Cato grabbed me in his two arms. I gasped in surprise, dropping my knife. It fell to the floor, just a bit away from Brutus, who was whimpering slightly. Cato's hands were very strong, and with their size, he could have held me with just one.

"Let me down." I said.

"No. I won't." Cato said. He pressed my back to his chest. I kicked, but his grip tightened, suffocating me.

"Cato!" I gasped.

"Stop hurting people."

"I didn't hurt him."

"You were going to."

"He deserved it."

Brutus clambered up, shaking. "Cato, just let her go. She's much fiercer then I thought."

"No. It's okay, Brutus. You go to dinner. I'm going to take care of her."

Cato carried me over to his room. It was lighter than mine, every single speck of it sparkled. He dropped me on the ground. I fell.

"I know I asked this to you before, Clove," He said. "But I want to know why you are so mean. So easily ticked off."

"And I told you before, Cato. I DON'T know." I said angrily. Hot tears were springing to my eyes. I begged them to not run down. "Maybe I'm just mad. Maybe I just don't see a point in life? Does it even matter? Just leave me alone, Cato! If we are competing against each other, I want to hate you. Not like you."

Cato bent over to me. He was on his knees, on the ground right by me crossed legs. "I don't want to hate you though, Clove," He said quietly. "I really don't."

"Huh?"

"I want to like you. Sure, we can show Panem we don't care for each other, but really, deeply, I want us to have a bond."

"But I'm going to have to kill you. I don't want to kill someone I like."

"So I can kill you. And save you the regret. You wouldn't have to live through the rest of your life regretting the day you killed me."

I thought for barely a second. "You just want to win! You don't care about me a bit!"

Cato scooted over to me. "I do care for you, Clove,"

"Ha!" I rolled my eyes. "Well, I've got news for you, Cato. I'm not going to like you. I'm not going to kiss you. I'm going to kill you. And that is it!"

"Clove, please stopped screaming or I'll make you smell my armpit again."

I froze at the thought. Cato took this time to jump onto me. He was on me, his hands pinning my wrists, his feet on my legs. He was heavy. Very heavy.

"Clove, listen to me." He whispered. "I like you. A lot. Jus please . . ."

"Let me go!" I screeched. He just wanted himself to win. He just wants me to die. He was lying.

"No!" And he shoved his lips into mine. I melted as soon and he was on me. I kissed him back, my lips cold against his. I was always cold. He, too, seemed to be in a trance. He imprisoned me under his body, his chest pressed to mine. I wondered if he really liked me. Or he was just faking. Just to win. Was he faking this kiss? Was he really just disgusted, wanting to get this over with?

Not knowing made me angry. I growled under my breath, and turned my head around. Cato looked stunned for a second. Then, he slowly got off me.

"What?" He asked.

"I want to know the truth."

**Cato's POV:**

She wanted to know the truth. Should I give it to her? Should I tell her that whenever I even touched her, I had to control myself? Should I admit I thought she was as beautiful as a blooming wild rose, sparkling in the sun, swaying from side to side in a sort of dance as the wind pushes it? Should I tell her that as much as I want to win the Hunger Games, I wanted her to be mine?

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"What is up with you Cato? Do you really like me or are you just planning to kill me all in the end?"

"Clove, I told you, I like you a lot." I whispered.

"Really?" She doubted it.

"Yes." And I looked her truthfully in the eye.

"I don't believe you."

Before I could say a thing, she disappeared, shutting the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone!**

**Here is chapter 7. I hope you guys like it. And even though there is some Glimmer and Cato love scenes, this is a Clato love story. you'll see later on.**

**Thanks y'all!**

**Freddy **

**Cato's POV:**

I woke to the sound of a scream. But just one scream. I could hear it coming from the room next door. Clove's room. Was she in trouble? Was she hurt? I rushed out of my room, worried. I burst into Clove's room, only wearing my boxers, and my bare chest trembled at the sudden coldness of her room.

"What are you doing here?" Clove demanded. She was in her training suit, hair uncombed but still going down her back in gorgeous waves. I looked at her hands. One of them was clutching a knife. It's blade was covered with blood. The other hand wasn't holding anything, but I could see a deep cut in it.

"Oh my God, Clove, what happened?" I cried, rushing to her side. I tried to grab her hand, but she tugged it away.

"I could ask you the same thing. You show up in my room practically naked at seven in the morning. Shouldn't you be at breakfast? We start training today."

"Why aren't you at breakfast?"

"I just woke up."

"You're in your training suit."

"Yeah, I trained during the night. Nobody knows." She glared at me. "You better not tell anybody."

"I won't. Why are you cut?"

"Oh, that, its nothing."

"Did you do it on purpose?"

"No! It happens all the time. I went right to sleep right after training, not bothering to change into pajamas. I must have had a knife in my hands. I must have dreamt of fighting. Don't worry, dude, I always wake with a knife in me."

"But what if you put the knife to your throat?" I could not believe Clove just rolled her eyes. "Why did you scream?"

"That was me pulling the knife out, genius." She smirked. "Now get away from me. I hate your muscles."

I only then realized that my muscles were overlapping each other on my chest, making it seem like I had my very own shield on me. I nodded, and left the room.

I had changed into my own training suit, and combed my hair back. I knew Clove would hate this. But hey. If she looked good, I should look good too.

I practically skipped breakfast, only eating a cereal bar and a cup of hot-chocolate. I hadn't seen Clove at breakfast, although Enobaria told me she had stopped by to nibble on some toast. I was ushered into the training room to meet our other allies. Clove stood beside me, her head barely reaching my shoulders.

"So we have to look for Glimmer." Clove said. "And Marcus. They looked weak."

"You watched the reaping?"

"Yeah, last night."

Suddenly, a pretty blond appeared. She was very tall, with big round breasts and curved hips, and her hair went straight down her back. Her eyes were of a sugary blue, and her lips were very round and red. Really dark red. I wondered how much lipstick she had put on. Behind her, was a skinny guy. He had light hair, pimples covering his whole face, and fear ran into his eyes. He better hide that fear if he wants a chance to win, I thought.

"Hey!" The girl, Glimmer, threw her long tan arms around both me and Clove. Clove clenched her teeth.

"Hello." I said.

"Hi." The thin boy, Marcus, said.

"It is so great to finally meet you!" Glimmer cried. "Cato, you look strong, I could just look at your muscles all day. Clove, are you any good?"

"Why don't you find out" Clove said in a fake sweet voice.

"Don't underestimate her." I whispered to Glimmer, my lips an inch from her ear. She seemed to like that. "She is as good as me. She can throw knives like a maniac."

"I heard that." Clove hissed.

"Okay, shall we start training? Or finding some allies?"

A few hours later, we gathered some allies, and we trained pretty well. Clove abandoned our group to go get angry with knives, and I stayed with Glimmer, and Marcus had left to practice with some weapons.

"What's wrong with her?" Glimmer asked, staring at Clove, who was attacking dummies and ripping them to pieces. She yelled and screeched with fury and tackled the dummies to the floor, slicing their heads.

"She's just . . ." I tried to find a nice word for Clove. I couldn't, other than ones that described her physical features, which would bother Glimmer. "Clove."

"She's very vicious."

"She's more than that. She's killed lots of people in the past. And her father's always drunk and sometimes hits her."

"Poor Clove." I noticed she didn't mean it.

"She's tried to kill me so many times, and we always end up in hospitals and stuff. Look." I showed Glimmer my stitched Clove had caused me to have. "Clove has the same on her neck."

"Poor you!" Glimmer gasped, and pushed her lips into mine.

At first, I was startled. Her lips had come to mine so fast. They tasted like cherry, and sort of like wax. Probably her lipstick, I thought. But the eagerness of her lips made me dizzy, so I kissed her back. Her put a hand to my cheek, and I put her face in my hands. WHAT WAS I DOING?

"Let's get out of here." Glimmer whispered into my ear. I glanced at Marcus. He was trying to use a sword. He was mighty bad at it. I glanced at Clove. She was buried under piles of dummies, all beaten-up.

"What do you have in mind?" I whispered back.

"Oh, you'll see."

As Glimmer led me out of the training room, I thought. I knew I loved Clove. A lot. But I decided to pretend that I loved Glimmer. Then, I'd kill her and it'd be perfect.

I let Glimmer lead me into her own room. It was big, and very spacious. The king-size bed lay in the middle.

"Cato, have you ever kissed a girl?" Glimmer asked.

"Yes."

"Did you love her?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'll be the one who you love the most."

Pretty soon, Glimmer was on top of me, and I was on the bed. Her lips were pressed against mine, and we devoured each other like crazy. Our fingers got tangled in each other's hair. She wrapped her legs around my waist. My shirt came off, and we spent hours there, our two bodies morphed into one shape.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! **

**Sorry I couldn't update, guys. It's been really busy for me and I got a new baby sister so yeah. Don't forget to comment!**

**Freddy **

**Clove's POV:**

I lay in my bed, twirling a knife in between my fingers. It was around midnight. I wasn't tired, despite the nonstop training yesterday. Cato and Glimmer had disappeared yesterday, and I joked about them inside my head.

I closed my eyes tight, and let out a loud breath. Who was I fooling? I was not going to be able to sleep. I kicked the sheets away from me and pulled on my boots. I wrapped a thin cardigan around my shoulders, wearing nothing but a black tank-top and shorts under it. I left my room, and climbed the stairs until I reached the roof. I slid out onto it and sat at the top, admiring the blackness of the night.

I could feel myself getting sleepier. Somehow, here, exposed to the night, sleepiness always crept into me. I would only stay for an hour or two. But somehow, a large wave of nothing hit me. I couldn't think. I felt my head getting light. I was going to faint. And before I knew it, I was tumbling off the roof.

**Cato's POV:**

The first thing I heard was a scream. I jumped up from my bed. I pushed the doors of Clove's room open, but she wasn't there. She was in trouble. I searched the whole building for her. She wasn't training or eating. I frantically rushed up to the highest window, searching for Clove. She couldn't have run away.

Then, I saw a knife. It was small, with a pointed blade. Clove's knife. It was sliced through the roof. I pulled it out, and looked down. I saw a small body, lying motionless, in a pile of leaves.

I was scared. Was she alright? I clambered down the spiral staircase and rushed outside, where I found Clove. Her body was so small compared to all the nothingness. I picked her up gently, rocking her like a baby. I brought her back up to her room, and laid her down on her bed. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. She even looked vulnerable. I stroked her hair, murmuring her name, until she woke.

Her eyelids lifted, and she gave out a small moan. Then, when she saw my face peering into hers, she jumped up.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"I brought you here, Clove."

"What? From where?" She screeched.

I grabbed her by the shoulders, and forced her to fall onto her bed.

"Clove, calm down. Think hard. What happened last night? I heard you screaming, and then I found you at the bottom of the building. Are you committing suicide or something?"

"I was not trying to kill myself!" She snapped. "I just fell."

"Why were you on the roof in the first place?"

"Ugh!" She groaned, and covered her face with her hands. "I don't know. I couldn't sleep. Forget it, Cato! Now get out of my room!"

"No, Clove, I want to make sure you're fine!"

"I'll be fine when you're dead."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Take that back."

"No."

"Clove, I said, take that back."

"It's true though. I don't need you! You're always fretting over me when I scream!"

"Listen, Clove, if I hadn't saved you, you'd be dead."

"No." She shook her head.

"Yes. You would be in the cold, outside, laying in bushes, and a wolf or something could have came and killed you while you were passed out."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Get out of my room."

"Not until I do this." I pushed my lips into hers. She froze. I could feel rage filling her. I knew she'd fall though, in a few minutes. She'd drown in my lips and kiss me back. And she did. In only a minute, we were intertwined in each other, my fingers in her hair, her fingers caressing my neck. I moved my hands down her neck, and then down her shirt. She ran her fingers down my back as well. But then, she stopped, and rolled away from me.

"Don't do that, Cato." She whispered.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to kiss you."

"You seemed like you were enjoying it."

"Yeah, but I want to win. Without any regret of killing you."

"You know, I bet I could take you down. I could kill you if I wanted to."

"Just get out of my room."

"Why, Clove? Any other girl would love to kiss me! Any girl would be mad for me!" I said, scratching my head.

"Well, Cato, maybe I'm not any girl! I'm Clove! I throw knives! I don't like you."

"But I do, Clove. I am madly in love with you."

She looked at me, her eyes narrowed. "I just don't know what to believe, Cato. I feel like you're lying."

"I'm not Clove." I whispered. "I really, truly, with all my heart love you."

She looked away. I felt desperate. I needed her to know I loved her. "I'll prove it to you." I said. I grabbed her knife from her nightstand, and held it above my left pinky.

"What are you doing?" She cried.

"I'm proving to you that I love you." I smiled. "Clove, I love you so much I'm willing to cut my pinky off."

"No, Cato!" She cried, panicked and shaking.

"Say you believe me or I'll cut my finger off, Clove."

"But Marcus said you and Glimmer made-out."

"I just wanted to have fun. Besides, it'll just make it more fun to kill her." I was about to slice my finger off when Clove grabbed the knife away.

"I believe you, Cato." She whispered, her head down.

"Do you love me back?"

"Yes." Her voice was barely hearable. But I heard it. I smiled, and took the knife back. She stared in horror as I carved her name into my hand. My skin became red, where the letters were carved, but no blood came out.

"There." I grinned. "Now, you're always with me."

"Always." She echoed, her voice unsure.

"Don't worry, Clove, I love you more than life itself."

She nodded, still unsure, and put her finger on where her name was. It stung, but I held back a wince, afraid to show an sign of pain.

And that was how we became the secret couple of district 2.


End file.
